Sagan Scores Hat Trick in Livermore

Sagan, second from left, took the win ahead of Haussler and Boonen. (Wil Matthews)

Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) sprinted to his third win in three days on the Tour of California's third stage into Livermore on Tuesday, taking the field sprint ahead of Heinrich Haussler (Garmin-Barracuda) and Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quick-Step).

"It's a surprise for me," said Sagan. "I want to say thank you to my team because they did very good work today.

"This race is very hard for me," he said. "The long climbs and the time trial are not so good for me. I'll try very hard to stay in the (yellow) jersey for another day. But I don't think I'll keep it after the time trial."

As on Stages 1 and 2, Tuesday's stage saw a long breakaway gain an advantage of several minutes during the 115-mile ride from San Jose to Livermore, only to be reeled in by a Liquigas- and Garmin-led pack toward the end.

With the last of the escapees caught, the dominant sprinter of this year's race, Slovakia's Sagan, timed his sprint perfectly to take his third consecutive win.

It was the 22-year-old's sixth stage victory at the Tour of California.

With his trio of stage wins and the time bonuses that he is awarded for each of those wins, Sagan now has a lead of 30 seconds over many of the race favorites, though he isn't considered a threat to the overall title.

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